As design careers go, there are two general camps: working as part of a large firm or partnership or going solo. Most often the latter comes after the former, though there's not typically as much time in between, as in the case of Susan Ferrier. After 20 years with McAlpine, the designer is starting a new chapter with the opening of her eponymous firm. The split was amicable, simply the result of Ferrier's desire to, in her words, "spread my wings." As the designer rolls out a fresh look with the launch of her new website today, AD PRO talks to her about her career, lessons learned, and what the future holds.

AD PRO: You'd been with McAlpine for nearly 20 years. Why was now the time for change?

Susan Ferrier: Well, I was a fine arts major in college and then was really the only fine arts person at the firm—all the other partners were architects. And as they started to concentrate on architecture, I felt like my voice needed to be heard, like I should step out and around the bricks and mortar and get more involved with who I am as a designer. I knew myself enough to know that I needed to do it. And I’m really excited to do it and to have the freedom to share my vision with the world. It’s time to steer my own ship.

AD PRO: How exactly will you have more freedom?

SF: I think a lot of the freedom comes in the choices of how to run the business. Design-wise, I think it’s nice to spread my wings. People know me for one thing, and I want to broaden those boundaries. I want to be better at what I do, and I’m going to be better if I experience more variety. I’d also like to collaborate with other creative people, not necessarily just in interiors.

An Alys Beach, Florida, home by Ferrier.

Photo: Erica George Dines

AD PRO: Interesting. So what's coming down the pipeline?

SF: I’m working on a beach home; it’s always something on the water for me. Then a hunting camp, which will be really interesting, in Alabama and another on the verge of happening in Montana. Then I'll be working on something supermodern in Dallas, which I’ve never really had the opportunity to do. The scale of that one is great and it really pushes the boundaries for me.

AD PRO: Any types of projects you haven't worked on and want to?

SF: I always fantasize about working on more projects abroad. I did one in Oxford, England, and that was a great experience. But I really like a little bit of glamour in what I do, and some cultures celebrate glamour a little better than others. I am really looking forward to doing some very large-scale, glamorous things.

AD PRO: What about product? Is that something on the horizon?

SF: Yes, of course. I want to be able to. When you have a strong point of view, it seeps into other things, so it's a natural extension. It’s finding the time for it, and that’s part of the reason for going out on my own. When you're a partner in a group, you have to always be considerate of how you're spending your time because you have to answer to that group; you have to be devoted to that work. So to do something different than what you're all devoted to gets a bit complicated. And I'm not saying my partners complicated me; it’s just who I am and how I am in a partnership.

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An Atlanta living room.

Photo: Erica George Dines

AD PRO: What are the lessons you learned in your partnership that will be most valuable going forward?

SF: Partnership will teach you a great deal. How to operate within a team—you're not making decisions in a bubble. And collaborations are a wonderful way to work because you learn a lot from the people sitting next to you and that exchange of ideas pushes you forward. When you’re with like-minded people you become immersed and the work becomes your lifestyle. It became the lens through which I saw my life. Being surrounded by all those wonderful people was great. I will still work with them, and I look forward to working with other architects as well.

AD PRO: Who are some of the designers you most admire?

SF: I’ve always admired John Saladino. I think he was one of the first people who really turned my eyes to design. He is so painterly in the way he uses color, and he combines such old pieces with clean, beautiful lines. I like Anouska Hempel, her graphics, that she’s feminine but strong. I think right now today, those are two people who have a distinctive look or a point of view, are easily recognizable.

I don't know that I have a signature style, but I have a signature feeling. I think everything I do is atmospheric. Even though it might be an aesthetic that appeals to my clients at that time, it evokes an underlying feeling that’s cinematic. People who have a signature style, I’m not sure they can help it. The heart behind it, that’s what I want to be recognized for.

Ferrier's new website emphasizes the atmospheric quality of her work.

AD PRO: How do you develop that personal style and brand, particularly as part of a larger firm?

SF: I don’t think I can help it! I think the more work you do, the better you get at your craft. It’s important to do a lot of good work, and every project you undertake, you need to think it’s the best thing you’ve done. It's about exercising that muscle. You don’t necessarily start out thinking you need to differentiate yourself, but if you’re true to yourself, things that you do become your signature and people will recognize them. I’d like to think the work I do has a signature to it.

AD PRO: What advice would you give to young designers?

SF: Make sure you’re ready; you really need to understand the business. Make sure that what you have to share with the world is something that is unique and well thought out and executed. This business is hard—you know that. You do it because you can’t help yourself. It’s a calling. If you go out on your own, you need to be really prepared for the devotion that will take.

No matter how smart you are or how good you think you are, the person sitting next to you might know the thing you need to know to be better, or vice versa. If you’re helping somebody out, it ends up helping all of us, it elevates the entire field of design. It’s so important that other voices are recognized.

AD PRO: What are the biggest changes that will impact the industry over the next few years?

SF: Well, of course, technology, but I also think that the way young people work and like to work is so interesting. The people I’m hiring are going to change the way we look at things. People now want to enjoy their work, make it their lifestyle. Then, accessibility; you can’t hide behind things. So that also brings up, I’d hope, transparency and honesty. Sharing and collaborating I think is so key. I don’t think anyone can survive now without others.

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AD PRO: Within these changes, how do designers have to adapt what they offer?

SF: It has to do with communicating the real value you bring to the table. And that value is the relationship you bring to things. Anybody can shop online. But it’s the eye that recognizes a balance and scale; it’s about creating an environment, creating a space to walk through, not shopping. Yes, you can find things on the internet, but that's a small-scale way to live. I want to create a home, not just find a table. And your smartest clients know that. They show you the room they tried to furnish but couldn’t quite make work.

AD PRO: Are there things you wish you’d learned earlier in your career, or that you wish you could tell your younger self?

SF: I wish I had been more courageous. Taken more risks, tried things sooner. I definitely feel like my younger self would have appreciated it. Although I don’t know if my younger self would have listened!

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